Through Thick & Thin Sequel to What Life is This
by Mosie1213
Summary: A little over three years later,the gang is back in this final part of the 4 part OTH Memoriesseries,in which they prove how close they are as they bond together to not only attend 20 yr highschool reunion, but some tougher stuff as well.MORE INSIDE!
1. PREVIEW

**_Okay everyone! Here comes the pre story info to keep you all going until I can get the first chapter up. Just letting you know, I tweaked the ages of the adults a little bit so that it would fit this story plot and everything (plus I didn't want to make them too old LOL. And as I get into the character web, you will see I've made Jake a couple of years older than the rest of the gang. Weird, I know but it fits with the story. In my story, Jake still had jenny in highschool, but he had to be a year behind in school because he missed so much when he was trying to protect Jenny. Make sense? Well, I hope so cuz this is my story and I will do with it and its characters what I will_**

**_DISCLAIMER: except that I do not own one tree hill or it's characters…only the made up characters in my story._**

**_Anyway, here's the character web and the ideas I am hoping to put into the story._**

**Lucas Scott (38yrs)---------------------------------------------Brooke Davis Scott (38 yrs)**

**Jessilyn Peyton (14)**

**Ashlyn Karen (9)**

**Megyn Makenzie (9)**

**Gracelyn Faith (6)**

**Logyn Lucas (4)**

**Nathan Scott (38)---------------------------------------------------Haley James Scott (38)**

**Cooper Lee (19)**

**James Lucas (15)**

**Katelynn Mae (12)**

**Chloe Sophia (8)**

**Nathan Henry (6)**

**Savannah Lynn (4)**

**Jake Thomas Jagielski (38) --------------------------------------Peyton Sawyer Jagielski**

**Jennifer Lynn (24)**

**Anna Rebecca (14)**

**Ryan Thomas (13)**

**Elisabeth Brooke "Ellie" (6 ½)**

**Tyler Stevens (26)-------------------------------------------------Jennifer Jagielski-Stevens (24)**

**Jacob Thomas (4)**

**Emily Danielle (1 ½)**

**Keith Scott (59)-----------------------------------------------------Karen Roe Scott (57)**

**Lucas Eugene (38)**

**Kelsey Marie (22)**

**Robert Stevens-(60)---------------------------------------------------Deborah Scott Stevens (58)**

**Nathan Henry Scott (38)**

**Tyler Alan Stevens (26)**

**_Other returning characters who will have a bigger role in this story: Hannah McFadden, Mouth McFadden (in some chapters), and someone for Kelsey who I haven't given a name to yet_**

**_Also look to see some familiar characters in the story as minor characters, like Bevin, Skills, Fergie, Junk, Rachel, possibly even Whitey_**

**_Now on to the ideas for the story…._**

**_The story will center mostly around stuff happening with Brucas and their family, and also Naley and their family_**

**_Peyton and Jeyton family won't have as much to deal with as the other two families, but I am going to try and get them in the story as much as I can_**

**_In regards to the situation with Brucas, I don't want to give it away now, but there is going to be something going on in their family that will have them needing to be closer together than ever as they deal with it_**

**_As for Naley…let's say their drama is going to be…not as tragic, but still something they must deal with as a family…once everything unfolds_**

**_Also….see the gang return to Tree Hill High School and meet up with old friends as they attend their 20 yr high school reunion, just as Cooper Lee Scott graduates high school with his friends_**

**_That's about all I can give you for now. Except that the stuff with Brucas won't really evolve until a few chapters into the story, I'm thinking. And the stuff with Naley, I'm thinking will evolve before the brucas stuff, at least part of it will. I hope this information gets you all excited and ready to start reading. I will have the first chapter up as soon as I have it finished. Thank you all so much for inspiring me to start this. Also, remember that as I work on finishing Boomerangs: Our Story as well, updates for this story will be less frequent, but still coming. Keep that in mind! Thanks_** guys!


	2. Prologue: Through Thick & Thin

_**Okay everyone…it's finally time to get this story started. And what better way to start it off with a memory for the title OTH Memories….lol. I hope you like this. Chapter One will follow shortly after this, but please review in the mean time!!! Thanks!**_

**Prologue: **_Through Thick & Thin_

"_I can't believe we are finally high school graduates!"_

"_I can't believe you actually made it."_

_Brooke Davis smiled and shoved her best friend, Peyton Sawyer playfully as they stood with their friends outside on the quad in front of Tree Hill High School, just after they had walked across the stage in the auditorium and received their diplomas._

"_I can't believe we're actually through with this place," Haley said sadly as she stood with Nathan, his arm draped over her shoulder._

"_I can," Nathan said with a smile. "It seems like we've been here forever."_

"_Some of us have been," Brooke said with a smile, as she looked over at her friend, Rachel Gattina._

"_Whatever, bitch," Rachel said with a smile, shoving Brooke's shoulder as she walked passed. "I'm out of here. You coming, Mouth?"_

"_Yeah," Mouth McFadden returned. He looked back at his friends and said. "I'll catch up with you guys later."_

"_All I have to say," Nathan started again after Mouth, Rachel and the other friends from the river court had walked off ."Is thank god I am finally done with this place."_

"_Well, I am going to miss it," Haley said. _

"_I am too," Lucas said, wrapping his arm around Brooke's waist. He continued as she leaned her head against his chest. "I experienced so much here, enough to have changed so much of my life."_

_Peyton nodded in agreement. "Yeah…I think most of our lives changed in this place…as much as I hated every damn second I had to be in this place."_

_The others laughed, and Peyton continued, "But…I went through a lot here too. And I probably would have never made it through without you guys."_

_Peyton smiled at her friends, and Jake pulled her closer to him and kissed her blond head._

"_Peyton's right," Brooke said, lifting her head from Lucas' chest. "This place has definitely made us a lot stronger than we were when we started here. I know it's definitely changed me too. And so have all of you. You've all been there for me through everything. I appreciate that."_

_She looked up at Lucas and he kissed her lips. _

"_So what happens now that we're graduated?" Jake wondered as Peyton leaned into him with his arms around her waist._

_Everyone seemed to grow quiet then as they pondered the question._

"_I guess we enjoy our summer vacation," Lucas said. "And then start out fresh again in college."_

"_But we have fun too," Brooke said. "And we stick together through everything, even if we're apart."_

"_Definitely," Haley agreed with a firm nod. "No matter what happens in our lives, or where we go, or where we are in five, ten, fifteen, twenty years from now…let's promise to always be together and help each other out through any and every ordeal. And the good stuff too."_

"_Through thick and thin," Peyton suggested with a smile. "All of us…together forever."_

"_Through thick and thin," Brooke repeats, nodding._

"_Then, all together, the friends say, "Through thick and thin."_

_**Okay, so how was it? Be honest and review right now! I'm still working on the first chapter, but hopefully it will be up soon! Thanks guys!**_


	3. Pancakes,Waffles,Smiles & Tears

**_Hey guys! Sorry it has taken so long for the first chapter, but I was having some trouble with it. I finally got it finished though. So be sure to let me know what you think of it, as I've been working very hard on it for like a week!._**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter One: **_Pancakes, Waffles, Smiles & Tears _

Brooke Scott rolls over in bed and smiles at her husband, fast asleep next to her. She runs a finger along his bare chest and wonders, as he looks so at peace, what it is he is dreaming about…

_"So…sexy, handsome birthday man," Brooke said to him the night before. "Did you have a good day?"_

_"The best," Lucas said as they climbed into their bed together._

_"You say that every year."_

_"Well, I mean it every year."_

_Brooke smiled and kissed his lips._

_"So…I never gave you your birthday present, mister," Brooke said after the kiss, as she stared at him seductively._

_"All I need is you," Lucas said with a smile as he touched her soft cheek._

_Brooke smiled. With the same seductive smile and look in her eye, she said, "Well…I am part of the present. And I really think you're going to like the rest of it."_

_"Okay. Then show me what you got."_

_"Oh…I will definitely show you what I got." She took his hand in hers and kissed it before letting it go and climbing off the bed. "I'll be right back."_

_He smiled and leaned back and watched his beautiful wife as she entered their master bathroom and closed the door. After a few minutes, the door opened again, and he watched her as she emerged wearing a smile and a white, fleece bathrobe._

_"Cute…" Lucas said. "But not exactly what I was hoping for."_

_Brooke laughed. "No? Well…how about this?"_

_She untied the robe and let it fall to the floor as she moved her hands to her hips/ Lucas grinned even more at her beauty. She was more beautiful and sexy in that red, short silky number than she had been two minutes before in her cute, fluffy fleece bathrobe._

_"Is this what you were hoping for?"_

_He nodded slowly as she moved closer to him and the bed, and he choked when he tried to come up with a word to describe how incredibly gorgeous she looked._

_"You…look…" he stuttered. "Absolutely…incredibly…sexy."_

_"Do I?" She smiled as she slowly crawled back up onto their bed._

_He nodded. "Uh, huh…."_

_She ran her hands along his chest seductively, and she said, ""So, um…you have me…Now what do you want to do with me?"_

_He closed his eyes and swallowed as she leaned down and kissed his neck, moving slowly up to his ear and then to his cheek. When she finally came over to his lips, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed back._

_He slowly and gently laid her down on their bed as he kissed her passionately and romantically. He paused for a moment, pushed some of her dark hair back and said, "I love you, Brooke."_

_She smiled. "I love you too."_

_And he kissed her again with a kiss and a love that grew and lasted all night long…_

Still smiling and watching her husband sleep and dream, Brooke slowly leans in and kisses his lips gently.

"Good morning, baby," she whispers in his ear.

His eyes flicker open and he smiles back at her.

"Good morning," he says as he laces his fingers in hers.

"You looked like you were dreaming about something really great."

Lucas smiles even more. "I was. I was dreaming about you."

"Really?" Brooke flashes him that seductive smile again.

Lucas rolls over her as he kisses her again. She wraps her arms around his neck as they kiss. After a few minutes, though, she begins to pull away.

"Lucas…" she says in between his kisses. "Luke…Lucas, we should stop…."

He finally pulls away when she pushes him. He sighs and says, "You've been doing that to me for the last two months, pretty girl."

"Doing what?"

"Waking me up….getting me going to carry on from the night before…and then you tell me to stop. Why must you tease me this way?"

Brooke laughs. "I'm sorry, but I think we'd better slow it down before we get caught."

"We're not going to get caught. It's 8:30 on a Saturday morning and the girls, the older three anyway, are never up before ten at the earliest."

"Maybe not, but we have a three and half year old who loves waking up early every morning to watch cartoons. And the minute he hears us, he is going to come bursting through that door, forgetting to knock as he always does."

Lucas smiles and says, "Well…then I guess we'll have to just get this over with before he hears us."

"'Get this over with?' What's that supposed to mean?"

Lucas laughs. "You know what I meant. I love being with you, Brooke. In fact, I can barely keep my hands off of you anymore."

Brooke, smiling, says, "I know. It's your not being able to keep your hands off of me that has gotten me pregnant four, now five times."

Luca smiles again. He runs his fingers through Brooke's hair and he says, "Look. I know that we have our hands full with five, and that we weren't planning on having any more, but…this baby could be good for us, don't you think?"

Brooke sits up in their bed and says, "That's what you've said about the last five."

"And I was right, wasn't I? I mean look at how close we are to our children. A lot of parents can't say that, but we can. And what is most amazing about it is the fact that we are this close and together after all the horrible stuff we have been through.

"I know we are getting older and everything, but we can do it. I know we can. I mean if Nathan and Haley can raise six kids as well as they have, then we certainly can."

Brooke smiles. "Damn right, we can."

"So…are you okay with having another one?"

"Well, I don't have much of a choice now, do I?"

"I'm just kidding," Brooke says after a small pause. "Of course I'm okay. I mean I'm still really nervous and afraid, but I'm also happy."

Lucas flashes her a smile. "You're sure?"

"Yeah." Brooke moves her hands over his prickly cheeks. "I couldn't be any happier than I am right now."

They lean in at the same time and kiss.

"Who knows…" Brooke starts again. "Maybe this one will be the baby brother Logyn has been begging us for."

Lucas laughs and kisses Brooke again. And then, as if on cue, a loud little boy comes bursting through the bedroom door.

"Good morning!" Logyn announces as he runs toward his parents' bed, dressed in his blue and yellow, shorts and t-shirt Spongebob pajamas.

"Told you," Brooke mumbles to Lucas as Logyn reaches their bed. Being as tall as he is for a three year old, Logyn has almost no struggle climbing up himself.

"hi, Mommy!" Logyn smiles at Brooke.

Brooke returns the smile, amused at his adorable little smile and bounciness so early in the morning.

"Hey baby," she says, accepting a hug from him. "Now where's my morning kiss?"

"Right here," Logyn says sweetly, touching his lips. "On my lips, Mommy."

Brooke chuckles and pulls her son closer again and he gently plants his lips on hers.

"Thank you, baby," she says after.

"You welcome, Mommy."

"Hey, "Lucas says. "Doesn't dad get a hug and kiss good morning?"

Logyn smiles and hugs Lucas. After, Lucas laughs and ruffles his son's sandy blond hair.

"So how's my little man today?" Brooke asks her son when he sits back on her lap.

"Eh…I'm okay."

Brooke smiles. "Just okay?"

"Well, I am kind of hungry." Logyn swiftly turns his head up at his mother. "What's for breakfast?"

"Awe, man…I have to feed you breakfast now too?"

"Yeah," Lucas joins in. "Didn't we just fee you dinner last night?"

Logyn giggles. "But you gotta feed me breaktist too, Dad. So I can grow up big and strong like you."

"Oh." Lucas nods. "Well, you know the best way to get like me is?"

"What?"

Brooke and Lucas smile at one another before Brooke shouts, "Tickle fight!"

And she and Lucas both start tickling their son, laughing as he giggles. Shortly after the start of the tickle fight, five year old Gracelyn walks into the bedroom in her pink and white Disney Princesses nightgown.

"What are we doing?" She asks when she walks up to the bed.

Her parents look up and, with a smile, Lucas quickly lifts her up onto the bed and begins tickling her.

"Daddy, stop it!" Grace giggles, trying to push her father's hand away from her tummy. "That tickles!"

"Yeah, Mommy," Logyn says through his laughter, trying to push her hands away. "You tickle me too! Pwease stop, Mommy!"

Finally, Lucas and Brooke both answer their children's please. After catching their breath, Logyn and Grace both sit up next to each other and across from their parents.

"That was fun," Logyn says with a big sigh.

"Yeah," Grace agrees. She looks at Brooke and says, "Mommy, now I'm hungry!"

"You're hungry too?" Brooke says, acting annoyed.

Grace nods and smiles, revealing a grin with two missing front teeth.

"We're not the only ones, Mom," Logyn says. He touches Brooke's stomach. "I think my baby bwother is hungy too!"

Brooke smiles, as does Lucas. Before either of them can respond, Grace says, "It's not a baby brother, Logyn. It's a baby sister."

"No it isn't. It can't be. We have too many girls already. Me and dad need another boy around."

"You're wrong, Logyn. It's a girl!"

"Hey, hey," Lucas interrupts his children's arguing. "Chill out, you two. It could be a boy or a girl. We don't know which one yet."

"When will we know?" Grace wonders.

"Not for a few months, sweetie," Brooke says, pushing some of her daughter's dark hair out of her face.

"Awe, man!" Logyn pouts and punches the mattress with his tiny fist.

Brooke and Lucas laugh. Brooke ruffles her son's hair, as Lucas had done earlier.

"Would it cheer you up if I made pancakes for breakfast?"

"Yay!" He children shout.

Brooke chuckles. "Okay. You two go wake up your sisters and I'll go start making the pancakes."

"Okay. I love you, Mommy." Logyn hugs his mother again.

"I love you too, little man."

Logyn climbs off the bed as Grace kisses both of her parent's cheeks. Brooke helps her off the bed.

"Come on, Gracie," Logyn says, holding out his little hand. "Let's go together."

"Okay." Grace takes her brother's hand and they walk toward the door and Grace says once more. "And it is a girl, Logyn."

"You're wrong, Gracie."

Brooke and Lucas laugh again.

"God…" Brooke says. "They are too cute! We make cute kids together."

"Yeah we do."

Brooke leans in to Lucas and kisses him.

"I guess I'd better go start breakfast," Brooke says as she climbs out of bed.

"Uh, babe?" Lucas says and Brooke turns around. "As much as I really hate to tell you this, you should probably get dressed or something before you go downstairs."

Brooke looks down and realizes she's still wearing Lucas' birthday present.

"Oh," she says, grabbing her bathrobe from the bed. "Right. Thanks."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Cooper, you should probably start getting ready."

"Yeah, I know," Cooper says as he sets his plate in the sink. "Thanks for breakfast, Mom."

Cooper kisses Haley's cheek before heading downstairs to his bedroom. Haley smiles as she watches him go wondering where all the time has gone.

"Mommy?" Savannah's voice interrupts Haley's thoughts. Haley looks to her, sitting with Henry, Chloe and Katie at the table.

"I'm all done with my waffles," Savannah finishes, holding up her sticky hands.

Haley walks over with a wet wash cloth and wipes her four year old's face and hands.

"Okay," she says as she finishes. "I'll take care of your plate. And you need to go upstairs, brush your teeth, get dressed and I'll come up to brush your hair."

"You mean get dressed in my new dress, Mommy?" Savannah asks as she climbs off her chair.

"Yes," Haley says, now wiping five year old Henry's hands and face. "Chloe will help you get it out of the closet, won't you Chloe?"

"Sure, Mom," says seven and a half year old Chloe after she placed her dish in the sink. She takes Savannah's hand and says, "Come on, sis."

Chloe and Savannah disappear upstairs.

"Okay, Henry," Haley says, tossing the wet cloth on the counter behind her. "You need to go get ready too. Brush your teeth, wash your face, and your dad has your clothes in our room. Hurry up, we're running late!"

"Okay, Mommy!" Henry says as he runs down the hall and upstairs.

"I'm going up to get dressed too, Mom," twelve year old Katie says as she starts down the hall.

"Okay, honey. Hey, is Jamee upstairs?"

"Nope, he slept downstairs with Coop again. He's tired of sharing a room with Henry."

Katie passes Nathan as he comes downstairs. Nathan smiles and touches Katie's head as he passes her. He kisses Haley's lips when he meets her in the kitchen.

"James still not up?" He asks, glancing at his watch before starting on straightening his collar.

"f course not," Haley says in frustration. "God forbid he get up early for anything anymore. You know, I told him at like midnight last night that we all had to be up early, and he should get to bed, but does he listen? No. Instead, he insists on—"

"Chill out, mom," James says, coming up from the basement in his boxers and gray tank top. "I'm up."

"But not ready. James, we have to leave here in less than an hour, and you haven't even showered yet!"

"I showered last night, Mom," James says, popping two waffles into the toaster. "All I have to do is get dressed and comb my hair and stuff. It'll take me less than half an hour."

"You're not going to shower for this?" Haley asks, hands on her hips.

"Why? It's not my graduation."

"Don't worry about it, Haley," Nathan says, stepping up behind his fifteen year old son. "If he wants to be the stinky one among the group, that's his choice, right?"

Nathan thumps his son's head and James smiles.

"Whatever," Haley sighs, throwing up here hands as she heads for the hall. "Just be ready to go in half an hour."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Mommy…is Henry and Gracie gonna be there too?" Ellie asks her mother as she brushes her blond hair.

"Probably," Peyton answers her six year old as she lays the brush on the bed beside her. "Okay, turn around, sweetie."

Ellie turns and she asks, "Can I play with them when we get there?"

Peyton slides a yellow headband in her daughter's short blond hair and she says, "No, we have to watch the ceremony. But you can sit with them."

"Okay." Ellie says with a sigh.

"There you go, Ell," Peyton says. "You're all done. And so pretty."

"Thank you, Mommy."

Ellie smiles and kiss her mother's cheek. Her mother returns the smile.

"Hey," Ellie says, touching her mother's cheek. "You're smiling."

"Yeah….you always make me smile."

"I do? Well, that's good. Cause I've missed your smile, Mommy."

Peyton's smile fades a little then, remembering why she has been shedding more tears than smiles lately. To avoid breaking down more in front of her daughter, she quickly says, "Okay…we've got to get going, honey. Go on out to the car with Anna and Ryan, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy."

Peyton watches as her little girl bounces out of the room. She stands up from her bed then and walks over to her dresser for her earrings. When she gets there, though, she is distracted by the picture on her dresser. She takes the picture up in her hands and runs her fingers over the glass as a tear slips down her cheek. As she hugs the frame to her chest, Jake enters the bedroom.

Jake slowly walks over to her and touches her shoulder to let her know he is there. Without even looking at him, she quickly turns and leans into him, to cry into his chest. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her head.

"I just miss him so much, you know?" She cries.

Petting her head, Jake returns with, "I know."

"He was my best friend, Jake." Peyton sniffles. "He was the only parent I had left."

"I know, but it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay. It's just going to take some time."

Peyton nods and pulls out of the hug.

"I know," she says, dabbing her eyes with a tissue he hands her from the box on the dresser. "I just need to take a break and get my mind off of him for awhile. And I think the graduation will do just the trick for now."

Jake smiles and touches her head, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "That's my girl."

Peyton hugs him and kisses his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

And hand in hand, they walk out together.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Hurry up. Coop!" Haley yells to her son from the kitchen, her husband and five other children standing with her and waiting for the oldest child. "I want to get a picture of you before the ceremony!"

Finally, the basement door opens and Cooper reveals himself in his blue cap and gown, with a gold honors sash over his shoulders, and he also wears a smile on his face.

"Oh…" Haley says, tears in her eyes as she watches her son walk closer. "Nathan, look how grown up our little boy is!"

Nathan smiles at his son and Cooper sighs and says, "Mom…please don't do this to me."

"Do what?" Haley asks, her voice growing weaker as her tears increase.

"Get all emotional on me today, especially not in front of Hannah. You embarrass me."

Haley shakes her head and she says, "I can't help it. You're just so…grow up. My little baby boy is all grown up. Nathan…where did all the time go?"

Nathan shakes his head and says, "I don't know. Seems like only yesterday he was off to his first day of school."

Haley nods as her tears take over again and she remembers that day her husband is referring to…

_"Okay, Mom…Mommy, you're squishing me!" Four year old Cooper said, forced into a tight hug by his mother._

_Finally, Haley released him, but still kept him closer with her hands on his shoulders._

_"Okay," she said, sniffling. "It's just…you're so grown up, Cooper. It's hard for mommy to let you go off by yourself."_

_"It's just preschool, Mommy," Cooper said, somewhat annoyed as he shifted his blue Spiderman back pack higher on his little back. "I be okay."_

_Haley nods and hugs him again._

_"Ugh…" Cooper moans as she squeezes him. "Dad…help!"_

_Nathan laughs and touches Haley's shoulder/_

_"Honey…" he says. "Hales, come on…you're squeezing the boy to death. He's going to be late."_

_"Okay." Haley again, finally released him. She kissed his cheek and finally stood up next to Nathan._

_"Can I go inside now?" Cooper asked, looking up at his parents._

_"Yeah, buddy," Nathan said, ruffling his son's thick black hair while keeping an arm around Haley's shoulder. "You can go in."_

_"Thanks." Cooper knelt down to pick up his lunchbox. He then kissed the head of his three month old brother asleep in the baby carrier, and then ran up the stairs into the school._

Haley smiles and comes up to hug her son again. Cooper backs away quickly.

"You're not going to squeeze me to death like you did when I was four, now are you?"

Haley laughs. "No. I just want one more quick hug, okay?"

"Okay." Cooper smiles and hugs his mother.

"I love you," Haley says. "And I am so, so proud of you."

"I love you too, Mom. And thanks."

"Okay." Nathan lifts Savannah up in her purple dress. "We'd better get going."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**_Hey guys! So there is the first chapter. What did you think? Good/bad what? Please let me kmow. I wasn't sure how well you would like it, so please tell me. As for the next chapter, it is kind of going to be a continuation of this one. It will definitely have some parts of Cooper's graduation ceremony in it, and maybe some more of Cooper and Hannah that you didn't get to see a whole lot of in the last story. I'm not sure what else I am going to do for the next chapter, I have some ideas but no definite ideas yet. So I will leave you with this for now. And I promise to get going on the next chapter just as soon as I can. And get it up just as soon as I can. For now though, there is this. I have work now and I need to get another chapter up on Boomerangs, but I hope to get a second chapter up as soon as possible. Thanks guys!_**


	4. Cooper Lee Scott

**_Hey guys! Yes, it is finally ready! Chapter two! I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get this up. I had some writer's block, and then work on top of that. But I really, really hope you enjoy this chapter…and continue to have patience with me, as I am still having a little bit of trouble writing the story and getting time to write. But I promise I am working on this…as hard as I can. Thank you all for all your patience. Now enjoy the chapter (_**

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

**Chapter Two: **_Cooper Lee Scott_

"Hey guys, you made it." Karen smiles at her son and his family made their way down to the seats that she, Keith, Deb and Rob have saved just a few rows away from the stage.

"Yeah," Lucas says, holding Logyn as he kisses his mother's cheek. "Hey, where's my little sister? I thought Kelse said she was coming with you?"

"She wanted to come," Keith says as he sets Grace down after she ran over to hug him. "But she wasn't feeling too well again last night or this morning, so the doctor ordered her to stay home in bed and rest."

Brooke smiles at Keith just as Jessilyn, Ashlyn, and Megyn ran past her to hug Karen and Keith, and Brooke asks, "Now, was that order given by her caregiver doctor, or _her _doctor?"

Karen, smiling as she puts her grandson down in front of Brooke and Lucas, answers, "It was Seth. He told her to stay in bed today, but I promised her that we'd all take lots of pictures of the graduation for her."

"We certainly will," Deb says smiling.

"Hey, um, speaking of the graduation." Lucas says, his arm around Brooke's shoulder. "Shouldn't the graduate and his family be like the first ones here?"

"So we're running a bit late."

Everyone turns at the sound of Haley's voice. She and Nathan approach with five of their children.

"Come on, Luke," Haley says with a smile. "You know me…I had to get before pictures of Cooper."

"Yeah," Nathan starts in. "And you know, it is a lot harder to do that and get six kids ready, than it is to do with five."

"Yeah, well," Brooke says, moving away from a little and glaring at Lucas. "Thanks to your brother here, we will get to find out exactly how much harder six is than five in about seven months."

Brooke slaps her husband's chest and he grunts as she directs Gracie to follow her sisters to their seats, and then follows Grace herself. As they walk off, Nathan smiles and smacks his brother playfully on the back of the head.

"Yeah, man," he says as he sets Savannah down next to Logyn, who's holding Lucas' hand. "What were you thinking?"

Lucas rubs his head as he reacts. "Ow! Nathan, what the—"

Logyn interrupts then, looking up and pointing at his uncle. "Hey! You hit my daddy! Mommy says you're not supposed to hit."

Nathan, trying to appear innocent, says, "Oh…well, he hit me first."

"Did not," Lucas says.

"Hey, you're lying, Uncle Nate. Mommy says you're not supposed to lie either."

"Logyn," Nathan stares down at his nephew and godson as Haley takes Savannah's hand and walks her over to Deb and Rob. "Do you do everything your mom tells you to do?"

"Yep. Momma says I have to."

"Logyn!" Brooke calls to her son and he looks over at her. "Baby, come and sit down with your sisters before the ceremony starts."

"Okay, Momma!" logyn turns back to his uncle and says, "Mommy says I have to go sit down now. But you and me will talk about this later."

Nathan and Lucas both laugh as they watch Logyn run down to Brooke. Brooke smiles, lifts him up, kisses his cheek and puts him back down.

"Dude," Nathan says to his brother. "Your son is such a momma's boy."

Lucas smiles as he watches his son giggle as Brooke tickles him in his seat.

"Yeah…" he says in response to Nathan's comment. "Maybe, but…he kicks ass in basketball too…just like his dad."

"Don't you mean he kicks his dad's ass in basketball?"

Lucas laughs. "Whatever, dude. Come on…let's sit down."

While their guys find their seats, Haley and Brooke have already found theirs and are sitting with their children.

"So how are you feeling?" Haley asks Brooke once they have their kids settled in their seats.

"Ugh…" Brooke moans. "Pregnant, very pregnant. I still can't keep anything down. I swear, morning sickness has never been this bad for me before."

"Awe…I'm sorry, sweetie. Hopefully it will get better in a few months."

"Yeah, hopefully. Anyway, what about you? How are you feeling? Your son is graduating!"

Haley, smiling, says, "I know. He is so grown up. Makes me feel not only old, but kind of sad."

"Awe…but he is still your little boy. He'll always be your little boy. So when does this while graduation kick off anyway?"

"Any minute, actually. Hey…Peyton said she was coming right?"

"I—"

"Don't worry…I'm here."

The girls turn and see Peyton approach, holding Ellie's hand. Anna and Ryan walk past to sit down by Jessilyn when she waves them over.

"Hey, sweetie," Haley greets Peyton. "Hi, Ellie. Don't you look pretty today."

"Thanks, Aunt Haley!" Ellie smiles and waves. "I'm gonna go sit with Henry and Savannah."

"Okay."

"How are you doing?" Brooke asks Peyton as they pull out of their hug.

Peyton nods and replies, "Okay…today anyway."

Haley touches her shoulder and says, "Well, you know we're here if you want to talk about it."

"Thanks."

As Peyton sits down with her friends, a familiar face approaches them with his two youngest daughters.

"Hey, guys."

Brooke smiles at their friend and she says, "Hey, Mouth. Hi Laura, Kara."

Hi," The girls reply in unison.

"How're you doing?" Brooke asks.

"Pretty good," Mouth answers.

"Hey," Haley says. "Cooper told me Hannah is delivering the valedictory address. Congratulations!"

"Thanks. Yeah, we're really proud of her. She's worked hard. Well, we'd better find our seats. I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Okay."

"Parents and familys," Principal Brown's voice in the hall through the microphone. "Faculty and staff, I'd like to welcome you all to the commencement exercises of Tree Hill High School, class of 2027. Now, if you'll all take your seats we'll begin with the choir singing our alma mater."

After the choir is finished, the ceremony begins with a few (well, more than a few) words from a few members of the Board of Education. After those speeches, and the ones given by the valedictorian, Hannah, and the salutatorian, Cooper Lee Scott steps up to the podium and his parents and family shift in their seats, glancing at one another.

"What's he doing?" Haley wonders, whispering to Nathan.

"Looks to me like he's about to give a speech," Nathan whispers back. "He didn't tell you?"

"No. You?"

"Nope."

"Well, hurry and get the camera out, Nathan!"

"Ow!" Nathan responds when Haley elbows him. "Okay!"

"Good afternoon, everyone…" Cooper starts. "Parents, families, students and staff of Tree Hill High School. I'd like to start today by welcoming you all and thanking you for coming today. My name is Cooper Scott, and I have been class president for the past three years. And as class president, I have been asked to deliver a speech today, looking back on the past and looking ahead at the future.

"When Mr. Brown came to me and asked me if I would mind giving this speech today, I really didn't know what to say. What I mean is, I wasn't sure of what I would say to you and my fellow classmates that would be of significance to now and the futures that lie ahead. This being the first year the class president has ever been asked to deliver a speech, I wanted to make it a good one. So I decided I would deliver a message to you all, a message of love and appreciation. I understand that it's not a typical subject in a graduation speech, but I promise it is an important message for us graduates to remember now and always as we continue with our lives. So I'd like to tell you all about it now.

"I would like to tell you all about how precious life truly is, and how I came to realize that myself already. It is so important for every one of us to love and appreciate everything and every person in our lives, and to never take anything for granted, especially life. Trust me, my family and I …we know this probably better than anybody.

"From the time I was ten, until…well, all throughout high school, I have faced more drama and tough life situations than any kid should ever have to face. But from everything I have already seen and been through with my family, I have already learned how cruel the world and real life can be to you. And I was first hit with this realization when I was about ten years old and my five year old little brother was kidnapped right from our own backyard."

Cooper pauses for a moment to scan the crowd. When he catches his brother's eyes, he continues.

"My world was turned upside down the day he went missing. I blamed myself and I wondered if I had gone out to play with him like he'd asked me to, if I could have stopped what happened. And even after my family and everyone assured me that it wasn't my fault, I still wondered. I still didn't understand how or why someone would do something so awful, let alone my own grandfather. But I came to realize that the bad stuff I saw happening around me didn't just happen in the movies like I saw before. But it happened in real life too.

"And if losing a little brother wasn't enough for a ten year old to deal with, the bad just seemed to get worse. Just a few short weeks after James had been kidnapped, my father was hit by a car head on. He suffered severe brain swelling and spent months in a coma. Again, my world was shattered, as I had no idea if I was ever going to talk to my dad or brother again. Thankfully, though, my dad and brother are both alive and safe today. And after we got them back, life seemed to find it's way back to where I was comfortable with it being. For awhile, anyway.

"Life took another bad turn for me and my family when I was about fourteen and my mom, my aunt and I were kidnapped by the same man who had kidnapped my little brother four years earlier, also the same man we had believed to be dead. The three of us, and my baby brother when he was born, spent months as hostages, locked up in an old house in a very secluded part of Canada. Most of the time there I spent wondering why life had been so cruel to me and my family again. Hadn't we been through enough, I wondered. And would we ever be rescued? Would we ever be happy again? Well, we were rescued , but happiness didn't come as soon as we would have liked.

"The day we were all finally found, my aunt, who was pregnant at the time, collapsed and fell down a flight of stairs in the old house. She suffered a severe concussion and spent six months in a coma. And when she woke up, she could barely remember anything. She remembered her name and people from her past, but she couldn't remember any part of her current life, and she spent another six months trying to remember it all. Thankfully, though, she found her memory again and she and my uncle finally have the steady, stable peace and happiness with their family that my parents and I have with ours.

"So the Scotts are happy now, and we are all strong and confidant that that can never be taken from us again, though we are always prepared to stand strong against any threat to our happiness. It took a lot of pain and suffering for us to get where we are now. We had to endure a lot of heartache, and we did have to learn to appreciate everything we have and to not take anything, especially life for granted. And while I have talked only about the life suffering I have had to endure, I am sure there are many others in my class and out there in the world who have had their share of suffering.

"Anyway, the point is, life is tough and cruel sometimes, and is continually getting tougher. In fact, as I've learned already there isn't really a moment in life that doesn't have some tough spot in it. But, if there is anything useful I've learned to help me get through all the bad times, it's that you can get through anything as long as you have something or someone to hold you up and help get you through, whether that be school, a job, great friends, or especially family, if you're lucky enough to have one as great as mine.

"It doesn't matter what or who you choose to be your support though. The only thing that matters in life, the only thing that will give you true satisfaction in life, is that you be able to look back on your life five, ten, fifteen, twenty, or even fifty years from now and smile because you made it through. To me…that will be the greatest satisfaction, and greatest success I will ever have in my life."

Cooper catches his mother's eye as he finished, and he smiles. Haley returns the smile as tears slide down her cheek. She squeezes Nathan's hand and whispers, "That's our boy."

Haley waves to her son as the crowd applauses. Nathan whispers back to her, "Yeah…that's our boy. That's my boy."

Following Cooper's speech, the principal stands up to the podium to begin calling students across the stage for their diplomas. Cooper smiles as he follows others in line, waiting for the S names to finally be called.

"Hey, Coop!"

Cooper looks behind him at Timothy Smith Jr., standing behind him in line.

"Nice Speech," Tim says. "But it would have kept me awake longer if you would have mentioned something about the hotties in our class, or at the very least, the Tim."

Cooper smiles and whispers, "Shut up, Tim. You're such an idiot."

"Awe, come on man. You know you're going to miss your Tim time."

Cooper snickers as he steps up in line and he says, "Well, I sure as hell won't miss you saying things like Time time, but…I guess I will kind of miss you."

"Awe, dude, thanks!"

They pound knuckles before Cooper steps up behind the principal and the podium. He smiles and winks at Hannah, smiling and waving to him from her seat, as the principal calls his name.

"Cooper Lee Scott…diploma with honors."

The crowd applauses for him, and his family and friends cheer more than any other group as he walks across the stage, receives his diploma and turns his tassel. And after the rest of the names have been called, the principal adds a few final words.

"And now I am proud to present to you all, the graduating class of 2027!"

And Cooper Lee Scott, with Hannah and his friends by his side, smile, scream, and finally throw up their hats after four long years. And the crowd cheers again.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"Honey, that was an incredible speech," Haley says to her son in the lobby after the ceremony.

"Yeah," Nathan agrees, touching his son's shoulder. "You were great, son. You looked just like your mom did standing up there."

Cooper smiles and says, "Thanks, but I was nervous as hell. I probably wouldn't have done so well if it weren't for uncle Luke's coaching."

Haley turns quickly to Lucas. "You knew?"

Lucas smiles, standing next to Brooke, who's holding Logyn on her hip.

"Hey," he says, throwing his hands up. "I was sworn to secrecy. He wanted to surprise you."

"Well, we were definitely surprised," Nathan says, he and Haley looking back at Cooper.

"And we are very proud." Haley smiles at her son again.

Cooper smiles again. James, standing next to his brother, smiles too and says, "Well, I actually thought it was kind of boring."

"James!" His parents, aunts and uncles said in unison.

He laughs and says, "Chill out guys. I was just kidding. It was a great speech, Coop."

Cooper chuckles as James comes in for a hug.

"Awe…how cute!" Anna says as she and Jessilyn walk up. "Brotherly love. Who knew you could be so…cuddly, Jamee."

Pulling out of the hug, James looks over at Anna and his cousin. He smiles and says to Anna, "Yeah, I pretty cuddly. Awe…you want one too, don't you?"

He opens his arms, offering a hug. Anna smiles and glances at Jess, also smiling. Anna looks back at James and steps closer.

"Well…" she says walking slowly toward him. Then, just as he's about to wrap his arms around her, she backs away and says, "no thanks."

Then she turns and walks off with Jess, James watching in total embarrassment.

"Dang!" Cooper says to his brother, smiling. "That was harsh, man. She down right rejected you, little brother. I thought you said she was into you too?"

"Yeah, well, she is," James says, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "She's just playing hard to get."

"Really? Cause it looked to me like she's playing not-want-to-get."

James chuckles. "Shut up, dude. You know you have other siblings to torture."

"Oh, well, don't you know I love torturing you more. I love the others too much to torture them."

James laughs again and shoves his brother away before walking off to find Anna. Cooper turns around then and spots Hannah across the lobby with her family. He smiles at her , and when she sees him looking at her, she smiles back and waves. Cooper starts toward her, but is interrupted by Peyton and Jake.

"Hey Coop," Peyton says as she, Jake, Ellie and Ryan approach. "We're going to head home now."

"Oh, okay," Cooper says. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course," Jake says. "Jenny would have been here too, but her babysitter canceled last minute. She said she'll definitely be at your party though."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you guys next weekend, then, I guess."

Cooper waves to them as they leave. Nathan and Haley walk up then with Katie, Chloe, Henry and Savannah.

"Honey," Haley starts. "We're going to go have lunch with Lucas and Brooke to celebrate. You want to come too?"

"Um…" Cooper glances at Hannah again and says. "Yeah, I'll come. But I want to go congratulate Hannah again first."

"Okay," Haley says. "We'll meet you outside. Hey, why don't you invite her and her family to come too?"

"Okay, I will. I'll meet you guys outside."

Cooper waits for his parents and family to leave before finally making it across the lobby to Hannah. She smiles at him when they meet. They embrace and she buries her face in his shoulder. With their arms still wrapped around each other, they both stare at one another. Hannah leans her blond head against Cooper's dark head.

"Beautiful speech, Cooper Lee Scott," Hannah says to him with a wide smile. "And congratulations."

"Thanks," Cooper returns. He smiles as he continues. "And congratulations to you too…Mrs. Cooper Lee Scott."

Hannah giggles and kisses him again. Cooper lifts her up and twirls her once before setting her back down. They continue making out in the lobby as if they are the only two among the crowd of people in the lobby.

* * *

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

_**THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND…COOPER'S GRADUATION PARTY, AND JAMEE'S 15**__**TH**__** BIRTHDAY (so I changed the ages a little bit again…lol, sorry, but it fits) A BIG BLOW OUT TO CELEBRATE BOTH, AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN, YOU WONDER? WELL, LET'S JUST SAY SOME SECRETS WILL COME OUT, AND SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS WILL HAPPEN…ARE YOU READY FOR IT? COMING SOON IN CHAPTER 3!!!**_


	5. Regarding this and What Life is This

Okay loyal readers….I have a proposition for you….

So I have been thinking a lot about how I ended What Life is This without the epilogue I had planned, and then how I lost inspiration to go on with Through Thick and Thin, Ans I felt really defeated because I really wanted to close this series in a really great way, you know…go out with a bang or something. LOL

So I was thinking that maybe I could still do that without having to commit to a full story like the others. So I decided, when I find the time in between school and work, I could do one of two things:

I could finish the original epilogue I had planned for What Life is This and post this.

**OR**

I could create a new epilogue similar to the original (which was never posted by the way) and toss into it some of the ideas I had planned for Through Thick & Thin.

**So here's my proposition:** I'm thinking that the latter of my ideas would leave the door open for a possible sequel to be written telling in more detail what happened in the epilogue that I would post at the end of the What Life is This story. I'm thinking that this would be the better way to go, **but I'm only going to do this if you are all or most of you are willing to read it and review it like you have the others.** So….what do you think?

If I write it, the epilogue would probably be a really long one, separated into sections within it, telling about what happened with Brucas family, Naley family, Jeyton family and so on, including somethingss that I started to introduce in Through Thick & Thin. There would probably be less dialogue, but I think you would all enjoy it just the same. Please let me know if you think I should do this. **I need the inspiration.**


End file.
